Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“Ooh!”
Regnator’s exaggerated reaction nearly broke my concentration, but I held on with all my might. By now, I had grown somewhat used to Regnator’s annoying antics, so I was able to endure it better.
“Huff, huff.”
As I exhaled, tension squeezed tightly around my lungs. It was a moment of anticipation and resolve that could be compared to humanity’s first steps on the moon.
When I finally took my first step, my eyes met those of Lucifer, who was seated straight ahead. He wasn’t making a fuss like Regnator, but the veins bulging from the hand resting on the armrest of the sofa revealed how tightly he was gripping it.
Seeing that, my chest stirred with a ticklish warmth, just like it had before.
I didn’t want to be satisfied with just one step. I wanted to keep walking, all the way to Lucifel. Would I be able to reach him without collapsing halfway?
‘Can I really do it?’
I wanted to. I curled my chubby little fingers into a fist and clenched them tightly.
Snorting with determination, I staggered forward. But despite my ambitious determination, the distance to the sofa where Lucifer sat was farther than I had imagined.
It might have been just two steps for an adult, but to me, an infant who had only just managed a first step, it looked like a hundred.’
‘Darn it, I really think I can do this!’
Even though I had already achieved the milestone of a first step, greed began to creep in.
I wanted to tell Lucifer, who often looked at me as if wondering, ‘Is this kid a genius?’ but also sometimes with a disappointed, ‘What a fool,’ kind of gaze.
‘Your daughter is a genius.’
There’s a thirty-year-old soul inside this baby. If that’s not genius, then what is? Of course, I couldn’t tell him the truth. Still, whatever the case, Lucifer seemed to genuinely enjoy watching me grow, even if only little by little.
That thought made me even more determined to walk to him. If I do so, he would be pleased, I was sure of it.
“Ughh.”
I managed about four trembling steps before my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. My bottom felt incredibly heavy.
Even this much was already an impressive feat for a baby’s first steps, but I didn’t want to give up. Now that the desire had taken root, my will to succeed burned brighter than ever.
“Lady Bella?”
Regnator, who had been clapping and cheering with excitement, now seemed to realize that I was trying to reach Lucifer. Perhaps afraid he might get killed by Lucifer if he interfered, he quickly fell silent and backed away.
It made me wonder, was that earlier encouragement really not meant to distract me?
“Huff, ugh!”
Catching my breath, I once again lifted my heavy bottom. After all, there wasn’t much else for me to do other than practice walking. I had plenty of time, and Lucifer would wait for
me.
All right. Let’s do this; I can do it!
“She must be trying to come to me.”
“Yes, it seems that way to me as well.”
“Her expression looks like she’s about to scold me, though.”
“Hmm. Her eyes do seem unusually sharp.”
“Hhm.”
I ignored their absurd conversation filled with misunderstanding. It was something that had become all too common. One of them was now my father, and the other my nanny. As much as I hated to admit it, Regnator had heard the word ‘nanny’ somewhere and latched onto it, mumbling like a mantra that it was okay for me to call him that. His persistence was truly remarkable.
‘It was really scary that time I woke up and he was whispering ‘nanny, nanny’ beside me…’
I waddled forward, lost in those thoughts. After walking a few more times, I started getting the hang of it.
Treating my heavy bottom as an obstacle, I sat down once more, and finally. Alas, I arrived in front of Lucifer.
“Huff…”
It was exhausting. As my body flushed with heat, I panted and looked up at Lucifer towering over me. His red eyes were opened wider than usual. It was obviously a satisfying response. Pleased, I smiled and reached out a hand to him.
“Appa.”
That affectionate and curious gaze he always gave me now looked truly fatherly. I had to admit it: I liked Lucifer. I truly liked having him by my side as my father. The baby-talk word I had uttered was unmistakable, and Lucifer flinched slightly at the sound.
His brow furrowed strangely, as if startled. I thought he’d like being called ‘appa’ (dad). Did he not?
I glanced at Regnator for a hint, but his own bizarre expression offered no clarity.
Lucifer stared at me for a long while. Just as I was beginning to feel awkward from his lack of response, he slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me into the air.
“That must have been a request for a hug, yes?”
“Yes, that’s what it looked like to me. Lady Bella is quite remarkable.”
“Now that she got tired of walking, she’s commanding me to hold her… is that it?”
“I daresay Lady Bella is the only one who could make such a demand of the Demon King. But after such a grand achievement, she certainly deserves to.”
“Hhm. I thought this pathetic creature would fail again today, legs trembling like a newborn beast… But she’s done quite well.”
“To be honest, I was a bit worried she might never learn how to walk properly.”
“At least she’s no fool.”
“She’s the princess of the demon realm, there’s no way she could be a fool. I’m certain Lady Bella is a genius among humans.”
“……”
“It’s clear, she must have taken after Lord Lucifer.”
What are these idiots talking about? Return my warm, sentimental moment! I just confessed my feelings so honestly in my heart a moment ago, only to hear the crashing sound of it all falling to pieces.
I just called out to my dad after taking my first step. Wasn’t that a moment to be touched by my cuteness and charm? Their ridiculous reactions left me speechless.
So much for warmth and emotion. The determined and heartfelt steps I took were now being compared to a newborn magical beast’s wobbly legs.
While my heart lay in ruins, Lucifer’s lips were already twitching in amusement at Regnator’s flattery.
“She takes after me?”
Seeing me limp with exhaustion in his arms, Lucifer let out a small chuckle.
“She takes after me, hmm… I suppose there is a resemblance in arrogance.”
“Arrogance is a foundational trait of demons! The Demon King’s daughter should be arrogant and overbearing.”
“That’s true.”
The tone was clearly one of praise. The way they were looking at me, you’d think I was some once-in-a-generation prodigy. If only it weren’t for the ridiculous words coming out of their mouths.
So… arrogance is a demon’s fundamental trait, huh… got it.
Lucifer sat down on the sofa with me in his arms. He placed me on his sturdy thigh and gently stroked my head.
There was a rare look of satisfaction on his face. I felt even more dazed than before.
“You’ve come quite far. I thought you’d be crawling your whole life with how slow your development was, but I see that’s not the case.”
Excuse me?
“According to my research, Lady Bella is actually progressing at an unusually fast rate. She’s developing better than the average human infant.”
“It seems she’s quite aware of it too.”
Pardon?
“Which explains the arrogance.”
What on earth are you saying, Lord Lucifer? I lifted my chin and glared with wide eyes, shaking my head as if to say, Absolutely not.
Really, I wish they’d stop misinterpreting everything.
“Impressive, indeed.”
So it was meant as a compliment. When did I ever act arrogantly? Unable to hide my exasperation, I pouted without realizing it. Lucifer didn’t miss that expression. Tilting his head, he pressed a finger against my plump cheek.
“When magical beast cubs are angry, they puff out their cheeks like this. Look, she even glares, thinking it looks threatening… She always makes this face when she thinks we’re talking about her.”
“Does that mean Lady Bella threatens us whenever she thinks we’re mocking her?”
Regnator, asking that with a look of sincere admiration, looked truly proud.
“Maybe so. But if that’s true, it means she understands quite a lot. And that’s fascinating.”
“So she’s threatening us even though she knows we’re not mocking her?”
“Who knows…”
Lucifer, clearly entertained, poked my cheek again and continued his absurd misunderstandings. This isn’t a threat, these are just baby cheeks, you know.
I had no idea how to fix such deep-rooted misinterpretations. I gave up. It wasn’t like I could speak and correct them anyway. If I kept getting annoyed, I’d only stress myself out.
“Still, it’s quite the accomplishment. You must have come to me expecting a reward.”
“Yes, that’s how I interpreted it.”
With unfocused eyes, I listened to their conversation in one ear and let it out the other. They were going to interpret things however they wanted anyway. My attempts to interject had never led to anything good.
“I didn’t expect something as simple as walking to require so much effort. I thought it was trivial, but it’s downright pitiful.”
“There’s a reason they’re an inferior species.”
Stop it, you’re hurting the feelings of this so-called inferior species.
I felt like I had just been slapped out of nowhere.
“Then, for her gift…”
As they discussed what reward to give me, Regnator excitedly began listing ideas.
(TN: The way they praise and then ridicule afterward is just entertaining.)
